De Vil
by Becoming-Obsessed
Summary: Auror Potter is tired of his work and his nagging boss. Dragged from bed on a noise disturbance call, Harry soon discovers what it means to love life no matter how old, thanks to one pet-owning, bloody gorgeous, Draco Malfoy. Inspired by 101 Dalmatians.


**De Vil.**

"Potter! _Potter! _WAKE UP YOU BLUBBERING TWIT!" A voice hollered, shaking the portraits on the wall, causing them to shriek and hide behind the edges of their frames.

"I am awake," came the mumbled response. Barely. Not really. He was just resting his eyes, honestly.

"Potter, get your arse up now before I dock you without pay!"

That didn't even make sense. Harry sighed, slowly sitting up straight. "Hm?"

"You have a case. Someone is complaining about a ruckus with their neighbor; too much noise. Get there. Figure it out, or go and find my wife a damn fur coat like all those Muggles are wearing, or you're going to be on leave. Without pay. Indefinitely." The booming voice shut off almost immediately, silence falling over the black apartment once more, the figure having pulled his head away from the fire-call in Harry's living room.

That wasn't a case. It was an errand. A stupid one at that. This new Head Auror irritated him enough that he wished Shacklebolt had turned down the appointment of Minister. He knew he wasn't the only one who felt that way, but he was too new to the Auror corps. to complain. So he'd go on the stupid errand, tell this neighbor to shut the bloody hell up, and come back home to sleep.

He was off-duty anyway, but the almighty Harry Potter was clearly up and ready at any time. The assumption, admittedly one that had been true at the very end of the war, had certainly become less than fact after three years of Auror training and one year in the field. He'd had a year in the field, for Godric's sake. That should be more than enough to get him out of _errand_ duty.

Swearing, Harry got to his feet and straightened the robes he hadn't bothered changing out of when he'd stumbled home that evening and collapsed on his couch. Obviously that had been a mistake. He never intended on sleeping anywhere near his floo again so long as this irritable bastard was Head Auror. He cast a quick cleaning charm and threw some powder into the floo. "Ministry," he snapped, and stepped through to find out the address he was to be going to.

**o0o0o0o**

The doorman let the disheveled brunette in instantly, yanking the door shut as wind whipped outside forcefully. "Good evening sir. Bit of a nasty wind out there, eh? All the trains are cancelled! All I been doin' is getting people from down the street looking for places to stay thanks to those ruddy trains." The doorman grumbled, shuffling back over to the small desk in the corner of the lobby. Dev Il flats, a tall, ornate building sat just on the edge of a busy London street, located right near the infamous Kings' Cross station. The building, to the wizards and witches that graced its doors, was home. And to the Muggles that came to stay, it was a beautiful placed that seemed to never age. The doorman looked up from his paper for a moment, glancing at the brunette. Odd thing to be wearing, in this weather or not. What was with all those people that lived here and their bloody cloaks? Was it some type of religion or convention or something? Bloody hell knows he gets a lot of those around these parts. "Sir, who may I buzz you in for?"

"Seven-thirteen. Mrs. Dunlawton." Old bird had been calling in complaints for the passed two hours on her neighbor, the mysterious seven-twelve resident. Harry wasn't looking forward to cracking the mystery, bored with the assignment before it had been given.

"Go right on up sir! We've been expecting you." There was a buzz, and the gate a few feet in front of Harry opened, the silver elevator doors parting to allow him entrance, leaving the dark oak floors, and high, mural ceilings (No doubt charmed to change with a persons preferences, Harry had noticed that when he continually looked up, the pictures had shifted slightly to fit his mood) and the rather pleasant doorman.

Harry stepped out of the elevator at the seventh floor, sighing quietly as he made his way down the hall. All seemed rather quiet, honestly, and he couldn't imagine what Dunlawton's problem was. And then, as he neared twelve, there was a loud _whoop!_ from inside and a clatter. He looked at the door, frowning. Sounded more like a celebration than anything else. Great. So he'd get to ruin someone's night.

This was so not what he'd signed up for when joining the Aurors. He lifted a hand and knocked on thirteen's door, not looking forward to getting this witness statement.

"One moment! One moment! Yes I heard you!" Was the reply a moment later, a quiet shuffling heard inside the apartment before the plain white door with the ornate gold 713 swung wide open revealing a small, feeble looking elder women dressed in a simple white night gown and house slippers, silvery strands of hair in a disarray. "You must be the Auror! Ooh pleasure, pleasure! And a fine one too!" She ushered him inside, banging on the wall next to her's with an impatient huff. "Will you keep it down?"

"Oh be quiet you old bat!" Someone hollered back before another cheering _whoop!_ was heard, and then silence.

Harry bit back the sigh, offered a small smile. "Mrs. Dunlawton? If I could get your statement, we could get this whole affair wrapped up and you can get back to your quiet night."

"Oh please dear, do sit down!" Pastels, flowers... more pastels... more flowers. It was maddening at two in the bloody morning. "Well yes dear, yes dear, alright." She huffed after a moment, plopping down herself with a small sigh and rubbed her back. "Not what it's used to be!" She commented.

Mrs. Dunlawton gave a small sigh. "Yes well, that bloody boy next door started making ruckus around nine o'clock, that he did! _Whooping!_ and cheering, clattering like you wouldn't believe! I tried telling him to stop, banged on his door I did." The elderly women waved a hand with an indignant, impatient and annoyed huff. "But he just slammed it back in my face when he heard something inside! I want the bloody noises to stop!'

"I see." She reminded him rather unpleasantly of a bulldog - squashed, wrinkly face and a dark cap of hair that he was ninety-nine percent sure wasn't even _hers_. "And why, Mrs. Dunlawton, haven't you put up silencing charms on your walls?" Honestly, half the complaints they got could be solved with something this simple.

"Because that retched boy has put anti-charm wards on his walls! I've already tried! _Twice!_" She gasped as if it was the most obvious thing in the world to the young boy. "Please just do go and _stop the annoying boy!_" There was an answering thud against her wall a few moments later, shaking one of the vases that sat on top of a cluttered table, filled with family portraits and plates. What was it with old ladies and flowery plates?

She sort of barked like a bulldog too. "Yes, ma'am." A sheet of parchment had been floating near his head, a quill scratching things down as she'd spoken. Harry took them now and offered them. "Mrs. Dunlawton, if you could sign this? It's a copy of your statement, to be placed in our files." Files upon files upon files. Harry bit back yet another sigh.

With a quick signature, and a small wave with a cry of "Thank you Auror dear, come back for cookies anytime!" The door to 713 was shut, taking with it a nauseating smell of _more_ flowers and the crazy old bat with it, leaving Harry standing in the hallway. Alone. With more _Whooping!_ at spotted intervals.

Harry sighed and lifted a hand to knock on 712's door. He was probably drunk, celebrating some random... something. Maybe he was watching something on a Muggle telly? Broadcasts of American sports were starting to become rather popular among some magic folk.

"Bloody hell Mrs. Dunlawton, I 'eard you the first time, you bloody bat!" A voice called, almost sounding oddly familiar to the Auror in the wee hours of the night. There was a clatter, a small, light laugh, and a thud near the door as hatches and locks were undone before it revealing a very stylishly rumpled figure.

Harry stared for a moment, plucked off his glasses, cleaned them with a charm, and stuck them back on his nose. It didn't work, of course. That was still very much the unmistakable visage of Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway. "If you'd heard her, you probably should've listened before she owl'd the Ministry a good hundred times," he managed, surprising himself with how even his tone was.

"Potter? Bloody hell what are you doing here?" The blonde leaned against the doorjamb, silver eyes wide in the lowered light coming from inside his flat. Dressed in a simple grey jumper and a pair of black slacks, Draco Malfoy looked stylishly messy, hair in a disarray, cheeks flushed with excitement though there was no scent of alcohol on his breath. Draco, before Harry could reply, glanced back in to the apartment, leaning his weight from one foot to the other.

"I'm here to do oh, so exciting Auror work." It was the bitterness in his tone that surprised him then, so he winced. "Anyway, Malfoy, you're really going to have to keep it down. Whatever the devil you're doing in there needs to be put on hold til morning."

"Oh bloody hell Potter, you really are daft." There was a small noise, something like a whimper from inside the apartment. With a small motion, Draco gnawed on his lower lip as if contemplating something. "Well... _Ugh,_ come on Potter." Grabbing the Auror's sleeve, he tugged the Gryffindor inside his apartment, shutting the door quietly and switching a lock before rushing further inside, leaving Harry in a blink.

"But-" Harry sighed gustily, followed the former Slytherin. "Come _on_, Malfoy. Just put a bloody silencing charm on your damn wall so I can go. Or I'm going to have to remove your... That's a dog." He pointed to the Dalmatian, curled in a basket beneath a warm looking fire and a softly buzzing heater. "You have a dog?"

"Thank you for that obvious statement Potter, now sit before I get dizzy. Been up for _hours._" Draco kneeled down in front of a bricked fireplace, a small smile, almost hidden away from Potter by his body angle graced his lips. "Yes Potter, I have dogs. And no, I can't put charms on my walls for your information," his voice was lowered to a whisper, his attention turning to the objects in front of him allowing Harry to get a look at the rather... cozy flat.

Harry took in the room's details quickly, cataloguing them. There was a large, deep green (big surprise) couch that looked quite a bit more comfortable than Harry's own, plump midnight-blue pillows tucked in the corners. Two high-backed chairs of the same blue flanked it, each with large pillows the color of the couch nestled on them invitingly.

The walls were a honey color, deep and golden, with the far wall nearly fully covered by a large landscape painting. On the mantle were little photographs - Draco and his parents or various friends - mixed in with little statuettes. The floor, like the coffee table and the little end tables tucked between the couch and the chairs, was a rich wood. Hermione would know what it was called; Harry just knew it suited. It was a bright space, despite the deep colors, and Harry was growing increasingly agitated that his eyes kept going to the brightest piece in the entire room - Draco bloody Malfoy.

"Why are you whispering? And why can't you put up a silencing charm? Just take down the ruddy anti-magic wards you have."

"Because you ponce," Draco whispered infuriatingly, his brow furrowing in concentration as he paused for a moment, his hands moving, unseen by Harry. "One, I have a Muggle computer, and those bloody things _hate_ magic, and two..." There was a pregnant pause, Draco falling backwards to sit on his bum, another small smile flitting against his lips before disappearing, a small whimper coming from somewhere around him. "Newborns can't be around as much magic as that will take or else it will get them sick, or clog their lungs and kill them." His arms tightened around his body.

Harry shuffled closer, blinked at the sight before him. "Wait... Have you been... you've been shouting and making all this noise over puppies?"

Draco looked up from the ragged towel wrapped around something small in his arms. "You cease to amaze me with your intellect Potter." Cuddling - bloody fucking _cuddling_ the towel closer, Draco sodding Malfoy pulled the top of the pale peach towel back and cooed. "Oh look at you. Just like your mum." A long, nimble finger disappeared inside the towel for a moment. "Potter. Do me a favor, get me some towels from the bathroom in the entrance hall and some warm water. Genevieve isn't done birthing yet. She still has about, _hopefully_, seven more pups to go." Not once did his molten mercury eyes look up while speaking, eyes trained intently on the figure that Harry _still_ couldn't see, wrapped up in the towel. But, if Draco were to look up, the proximity in which Harry stood would have revealed flecks of gold and blue in Draco irises shown by the firelight, and the slight cupids bow against his lips, and maybe even the small, pale scar that lay right against his eyebrow from the Hippogriff incident in third year.

Genevieve. Draco had a dog named Genevieve and was cooing over a puppy... Sighing, Harry rose. He intended to just leave. Just not look behind him and walk out. He'd told Malfoy to be quiet and if he wasn't, then someone else would be along to arrest him or slap him with a fine.

He sank back down near Malfoy a few moments later with the towels and the water. "Why do you have a dog? I didn't think you liked animals."

Two heads popped up at the noise, noses sniffling and spotted tails beginning to wag. "I have two, my third just recently passed. Australian Shepard named Dotsy. Didn't name her, my nanny did." Draco reached forward, Harry now able to see a large, plush bed, tan with a towel coated cushion. Upon it lay Genevieve, her eyes drooping as her spotted stomach, still round and full, heaved, her teeth gritting over her bottom lip. "Shh, Gene, shhh." The blonde stroked a hand over her coarse fur, gazing down at the six white figures, small and almost insignificant if you didn't look at them closely. Six little puppies, six precious new lives. "Genevieve and Marquet are whom I own, and soon I'll have a few more." The male Dalmatian popped his head up from the large, high-back chair near the fireplace, his tail wagging happily before he set his head back against his paws, gazing at Genevieve happily. Or, what looked like happiness.

"Looks to me like you already have a few more. So..." _I'm gonna head on home. Keep the noise down._ "Since I'm here, do you need any help?"

The blonde looked shocked for a moment, before he schooled his face into a mask of pure indifference... The face fell within a moment, a little cooing dragging the constellation-named man's eyes down to the puppies near his knee. "Actually Potter- Harry, yes. That'd be lovely. No magic, please. But, if you could just take the puppies over to their father, he'll clean them since Genevieve is becoming more tired the more puppies she delivers, and they need to be washed."

"Sure. So, ah, how long have you had them?" he wondered, gently stroking his fingers along the curve of the mother's back. He kept his attention on the dogs since it kept him blissfully distracted from the pure gorgeous nature of one Draco Malfoy... who had called him Harry. Without prompting. Bloody hell.

"A few years. Genevieve is five, and her mate Marquet is three." The male once again lifted his head, before realizing that he hadn't been called and set it back down. Draco made sure the fire was warm enough with a well-placed hand before glancing back down at the puppies, then there mother. "Bloody- Okay, Gene," Draco quickly lent forward, a nimble-fingered hand coming to rest against the female's stomach. "Push Gene, you're doing wonderful." He moved her tail off the side of the bed. "Come on Gene, come on." He cooed quietly, eyes completely focused on the task before him. Luckily no puppies had passed. But, it had been a while between puppies five and six, and that worried him. Genevieve had given a still births her first two litters, so this was a blessing from Merlin knows where.

"No shouting this time," Harry murmured, but he was watching Draco now that his attention was on the dog. This was incredibly surreal. "Last thing I need is to get in trouble at the Ministry."

"The Ministry can go - Number six! Oh, Gene! She's beautiful!" Draco moved quickly, gathering a towel from over Harry's leg, knowing that he'd think back on this scene later and remember the warm feeling that drifted from Potter's skin, and the smell of his shampoo- apples, cherries. Maybe cinnamon? Draco would also remember how much of an idiot he was to lean over Harry sodding Potter to grab a towel, practically falling into his lap! "Harry, get one damp in water, hurry. Make sure it's warm." Draco cuddled the small, white... thing closer to his chest, hands working quickly, Harry probably having no clue what he was actually doing - _Merlin_, Draco thought, Harry sodding Potter is in my flat. _Focus_, you nitwit.

Harry dampened the small towel in the warmed water and offered it. "Um... here? It's my first puppy-birthing, I'm afraid." He offered a smile, ignoring the tingling in his thigh from where Draco's fingers had brushed.

"Don't worry. It's like learning to ride a broom. Except... no magic. And lives are dependent on it." Draco used the towel, gently, slowly placing the new puppy in his lap and wiping at her belly. "Hello there, little..." He paused in his motions. "Hey, Potter, why don't you name her?"

And back to Potter. Harry was irritated that he was bothered by that. The first name that came to mind stuck in his throat because he was sure Malfoy would laugh at him. "You sure?"

"Yes, come on. First name that comes to mind! I always find that to be the best." He gently poked the little girl's nose, chuckling lowly at the small sniffle and sneeze, nodding approvingly at clarity in her lungs after gently cleaning her mouth and throat with a little suction to get rid of the placenta gunk.

"I... well..." He ducked his head and his voice lowered. "Lily, then."

"Lily," the blonde repeated quietly, the namesake slowly dawning on him. Glancing down at the puppy in his lap, Draco played with her paws before scooping her up, towel and all and holding her out, her little white body wiggling against the towel. "Well go on then; hold Lily." The name rolled off his tongue. It fit.

"But..." Harry stared at the wriggling bundle for a moment before swallowing and taking her. He cradled the pup carefully, stroking her back with a gentle finger. "Y'know you don't have to stick with that name... It's your dog," he murmured.

"I have another six on the way, I think, for the magical number seven, you can name her, and the next one that comes out. It's the least I could do." Literally, it was the least. Draco turned back to the puppies that had already been birthed, smiling at the sight. Marquet had come down from 'his chair' and was cuddling against Genevieve's head, licking her muzzle happily, and gazing at his pups with a fondness in his dark gold irises. "Happy, Marq?" He reached over, stroking the male's head.

Harry stared down at the little creature he was holding and smiled. Maybe Malfoy just didn't know the significance of the name. It was arrogant to assume that he would recognize his mother's name. "Why don't any of them have spots?" he wondered.

The blonde had a knowing look in his eyes as he gazed, openly, upon the Gryffindor. The sight was something that would stick in his mind for years. Harry Potter, unguarded, holding a newborn Dalmatian puppy with his mother's namesake, in _his_ flat, Draco Malfoy's no less! Draco wanted to rub at a twisting pang in his chest. These were his children. Potter already seemed to have a life. No sense getting caught up in delusions Draco, he chided himself. "Because their spots don't come in till later; think of it as puberty for puppies." He shrugged absentmindedly.

Harry laughed. "Puberty is nothing short of hell." He changed his grip on the little dog, ducking his head to gently nuzzle it. How absolutely ridiculous to have just fallen madly in love with a _puppy_. "D'you... Godric, this is going to sound silly and obvious. Do you ever... Do you sell them or give them away or what?"

"Sometimes. I... well..." The blonde pulled a puppy into his lap after a careful, questioning glance at Marquet. "Shhh, Guinevere." With a raised eyebrow, the blonde's glance said 'Do not ask,' before he glanced around his flat, his eyes refusing to land on the handsomely disheveled figure next to him. "I normally give them away for free to troubled families or little kids."

"Oh." Harry tried not to wince, stared down at little Lily. "I don't exactly fit into either of those. It's just me."

"Ah. Same for me, I suppose. My parents never allowed anything... pet like." That was an odd secret to admit, he supposed. "Oh!" A small whimper came from the bed. "Harry, put Lily down, we have another!"

For the next four hours, Draco and Harry sat in front of the fire, chatting amicably and slowly helping Genevieve give birth to six more beautiful puppies; four boys, two girls. Harry was able to name one of each. Lily andProngs. Draco named the other five; Severus, LuLu, Cissy, Salazar, and shockingly enough, to the brunette's surprise, Godric.

"So why Godric?" Harry asked, unable to help himself as he very reluctantly set Lily beside her mother. She needed to eat more than he needed to cuddle.

A small smirk graced cupid-bow lips as Draco dunked his hands in the now-cold tub of water and dried them on a left-over towel. "He's going to be the runt of the liter. Found it fitting." Silver met emerald. The air around the room seemed to change and Harry found it just a bit harder to breathe.

"Oh, haha," he murmured, eyes widening a fraction. He was clearly just imagining things. "Should switch Salazar and Godric around, then."

"Ohoho, so the Golden Boy does have a sense of humor," he whispered quietly, reaching around the side of the fireplace and gently lowering the flame. "Let's move this to the kitchen shall we?" He glanced at the puppies once more, checking over to see if there was anything he'd miss before standing, his knees groaning in protest.

Harry rose as well, glancing at the robes he'd discarded somewhere between LuLu and Cissy, but dismissed them in favor of following the blonde. They'd bonded over dog births. Would the wonders ever cease? "I've got an excellent sense of humor."

"Not that I remember, obviously. I think I would have discovered that somewhere between the refused hand-shake and the broken nose." He laughed quietly, refusing to bring up topics that came with those memories. Those were dark times, and it wasn't time to focus on that. They had lives to celebrate. "Tea?"

"Sure. Thanks." Harry tucked his hands in his pockets, watching the Slytherin carefully. What had happened between the broken nose and now...?

"How do you take it?" Draco murmured as he walked around the cosy kitchen, reaching into dark, cherry oak cupboards, pulling out sugars and teas, and very large, round mugs in the most befitting colours of red and green.

"Black's fine." Harry ran a hand through already disheveled hair, abruptly realizing he hadn't even bothered trying to fix it before leaving. Then again, he hadn't expected to find himself on the floor of the very attractive Malfoy. "Strong, if you don't mind. I'd like to be able to make it home without falling asleep on my feet."

The blonde nodded, quickly preparing the mugs and letting the tea sit to brew, waving a hand and handing Harry his ironic red mug, politely inviting the Auror - _shite_ how had he forgotten that? - to sit at the small kitchen table whilst he leaned against the dark, black granite counter. "So, what brings you here again Potter-Harry? I apologize, I had a lot on my mind at the moment." Still do. Particularly something- some_one_ with brown hair and dashing emerald eyes.

"Mrs. Dunlawton and her irritating owls from hell." He took the seat gratefully, holding the mug in his hands. "Head Auror woke me up for the task of dealing with it because she just wouldn't stop."

"Ahhh," the blonde turned around for a few minutes, taking the bag out of his tea and giving it a small sip, turning slowly and leaning back against the counter with a pleased hum, sipping his tea periodically. "Yes, she is a bit of an annoying bint, isn't she? Sorry for the trouble she caused."

Harry let his rest a few more moments before taking a testing sip. Satisfied with it, he removed the tea bag and set it on a napkin he conjured. "She reminds me of a bulldog, actually." He looked up, smiling. "As rude as that probably is to say. And it isn't a problem, I guess. I got woken up and had to come all this way at two in the morning, but I can tell you that I've had worse 2:00am wake-up calls." His smile widened into a teasing grin. "I'm sorry to tell you that you're no longer the most irritating thing in my life, Draco."

Draco dropped his eyes from those of emerald green and proceed to waved a dramatic hand, setting his tea down beside him and clutching at his jumper over his heart. "Oh, _Harry!_" The blonde Slytherin pretended to swoon, placing the back of a hand against his forehead. "You wound me, Potter!"

"My sincerest apologies." Harry laughed, relaxing back in the chair. "Maybe a good potion'll help you with that."

With a raised eyebrow, Draco moved to slide into a chair next to the brunette, sipping his tea with a pleased, tired hum. "A potion? For what may I ask?"

"Whatever wounds I've inflicted on your psyche." Harry tried not to feel... anything when the blonde moved closer. Since when had Draco become... attractive?

"Can you even _brew_ potions, Potter?" The blonde chuckled, giving a small yawn, rubbing his mercury colored eyes with the back of his hand.

"When I have the right instruction." Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I should've headed out hours ago."

He waved a flippant hand. "Don't bother, Harry. I asked you to stay, so the least I can do is allow you to stay the night?"

"Oh. Ah... I guess I may as well. If you're sure."

"Of course. Besides, I have a feeling two little someones might be attached to a 'big bad Auror', that if he were to leave, they'd be _heartbroken._" Draco felt the need to not inform the brunette that if he were to leave now, Draco himself might be a bit broken hearted.

"It's... kind of silly to get so attached so quickly to a couple of puppies, isn't it?" He stared down into his mug of tea. It was so much harder not to stare at the Slytherin now that there were no distracting puppies between them. "Thanks for, ah, letting me help."

"Not really," he set his mug down quietly. "I get attached to all my puppies, so it's hard to let them go sometimes, yes, but it still is amazing to see a new life being born. So you're welcome." He sent a small curve of his lips towards the unsuspecting Auror.

And even harder if he smiled. Merlin, he was exhausted if he was staring at Draco Malfoy's mouth. Oh! Bollocks, he was staring at Draco's mouth. His gaze snapped up, cheeks coloring. _Smooth_.

"Well you look tired, so how about we get you set up for the night and let you rest?" Draco stood just as smoothly, as suavely as he sat and grabbed his cup, tilting it back and drinking deeply.

Harry watched, transfixed, as his Adam's apple bobbed with the swallow. Just how, he wondered, would Draco react if he just leaned forward and bit...? Well... shite. Throat suddenly dry, he lifted his own mug and took a drink.

Placing his mug in the stainless steel sink, Draco turned with a small smirk and a nod towards the door of the kitchen, arms crossing overt his chest. "Well come on then. Be quiet as not to wake the puppies, will you?

"Right, yeah." Mortified by his own thoughts, he rose to set his mug beside Draco's. "Where'm I going to be sleeping, then?"

"I apologize that I have no guest room, but if you wish you may take my room, as I normally sleep on the couch to just make sure that everything will be alright with the puppies on their first night or two. Had a few tragic accidents which just makes it more of a precaution then anything else."

Harry tried to think of an argument - sleeping in _his_ bed? - but nothing came to mind. So much for this being a simple errand... "I hate to kick you out of your own bed, but I guess I wouldn't know what to do if anything went wrong."

Draco chuckled quietly, the noise soft against the crackling fire as the two found themselves in the living room once more. "If you wish, you could just sleep on one of the couches like me, and you can just observe if anything goes wrong. I find that to be," he shifted himself on to another foot as if nervous. Malfoy... _nervous? _"-the best way to learn is hands on."

"Yeah, that'd be fine. Hopefully the rest of the night's boring." He smiled, running a hand through his hair.

Draco chuckled once more, tilting his head towards the couch, conjuring pillows and blankets from his bedroom with a wave of a pale, long-fingered hand, glancing at the new-born pups to check for the affects of his small, minimal use of magic. "Feel free to take that, I most likely won't be sleeping."

Harry grinned. "It always surprised me how good a wizard you were," he mused, sinking down onto the couch. "I don't see a lot of wandless magic so casually done like that."

Draco shrugged flippantly, ducking his head to fiddle with the blankets and pillows, sorting them out, to hide the dark blush that seemed to burst its way across his cheeks like one of those blasted Weasley Wheezes fireworks that he always heard when someones favorite Quidditch team won a game, or when some various holiday came along. "W-Why thank you, Potter. It's only a little bit of magic here or there, most likely nothing _you _can accomplish, I assure you."

"What I can do doesn't take away from what you can do." Harry yawned, lifting a hand to cover it. "Bugger. Sorry. It's been a long few days. Head Auror thinks that if he can break the 'great Harry Potter,' he'll be able to pawn me off somewhere else."

Draco chose to ignore the twist of anger that seated itself inside his chest at the brunette's words. "Those are wise words there, Harry." He grabbed a few blankets, turning and walking the few feet to drop them against the inviting-looking couch. "Well he chose the wrong person then, didn't he? I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in Azkaban for the shite he mostly likely has you doing." Silver met emerald and Draco tried to ineffectively swallow past the lump that formed in his throat. _Bugger,_ did anyone ever tell Potter that he had beautiful eyes? They seemed to be colour of forest branches, lush from a summer rain, or the purest Jade Draco had more than once starred at for hours in the Slytherin common room, or traded on the Dark marke - _Stupid_ Slytherin, get your head out of the clouds!

"Shite like coming to someone's flat at two in the morning on a noise disturbance? After a three week stint chasing down a serial killer, no less. Blighter knows I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep in that time." He scrubbed a hand over his face, mostly to keep from staring at Draco's eyes. Godric, they just _shined_, didn't they? "If that was punishable by time in Azkaban, I'd make the arrest myself."

A hand shot up almost instantly, covering Draco's mouth as he turned back to his chair to set up his pillows and blankets, his shoulders shaking with poorly concealed laughter. He tried to blame it on exhaustion, but Harry just had a sense of humor about him in the wee hours of the morning, his hair all tousled from running his hands through it one too many times, his expressions and mannerisms _open,_ unguarded. It was like a whole other side to the same coin.

"Thanks for that, really. Next time, use that crap we learned in Divination and let the tea leaves tell you when pups are coming so you can put up a few silencing charms in advance." Harry grinned, leaning against the pillows Draco had conjured for him. "Or bring the old bulldog in here. She'd be glad to see her relatives." He glanced at the proud father. "No offense, Marquet."

The dog lifted his nose, a haughty expression seeming to crinkle at the corner of his eyes.

Stifling another bout of laughter - what was _with_ him today? - Draco flopped down onto the chair, running a hand disheveling through his hair. "I don't think Marquet likes being related to something so..." Draco waved a hand, as if that were to answer his thoughts for him, another yawn pushing at his lips.

"You sure you're not going to sleep? We could take it in shifts; I'm unbelievably used to that." Harry folded his arms behind his head, gazing at the ceiling in an effort to keep from gazing at the man. "A puppy stake-out sounds loads more fun than waiting for the bad guy to _maybe_ do something."

The blonde shrugged, pulling a blanket out from under him. "Your choice. Don't you work in the morning, Potter? You might as well sleep." Let me watch you _now_, Potter. So when you leave, I have another batch of memories to last me another decade. His heart twisted - Fuck you, you little bugger.

"I was already going to be snoring on my paperwork," Harry pointed out. "May as well really make it count."

A small snort of laughter left his lips as he gazed back down towards the fire's light, the flames, bright and warm, licked at his face, casting Draco in a soft bath of light as he glanced at the puppies, his little family. ... His... _only_ family.

"Never thought I'd hear a sound like that out of you," Harry murmured, rolling onto his side and propping his head up on his elbow. "For a while, I thought your laugh track was stuck on snicker."

Reaching behind him, Draco pulled out an overly stuffed pillow from between his back and the back of the chair, chucking it the few feet to clonk the brunette in the head. "And I thought you didn't know what a comb was well until seventh year and then some, so shut it you twit."

"You have hair like this," he tugged at it, "and be able to work a comb through it. We can't all have absolutely perfect hair. Is it as soft as it looks, too, or just..." He trailed off, coloring, and snapped his gaze to the dogs.

Draco raised an eyebrow, ignoring the almost-invite to run his hands through the deceptively messy looking locks. "I bet something could have been done, Potter. It's not _impossible_ to tame locks like yours. I've seen worse." He leaned back in his seat, lithe muscled arms coming to cross over his chest, one leg crossing over the other.

"Y'know, it's not very nice of you to compare my hair to your neighbor's. She's old." Relieved, Harry flicked his gaze back to the blonde. "You should be nicer to her."

"And who said I was comparing you to that old hag? And for your information," his hands locked, his pointed chin coming to rest against his knuckles as he leaned forward. "I am polite towards her, she just catches me at moments where I am... preoccupied."

Harry rose and went to his robes. After fishing out a small notebook and flipping a page, he leaned against the chair they'd been tossed on. "'Oh, be quiet you old bat,'" he quoted. "You are effortlessly polite, Draco. My commendations."

"... Did you really think I would be polite during this _particular_ situation Potter? Before you came, she was screaming and pounding at my door. She could have, more than _once_, put up a No Noise charm around herself if she wanted it to be quiet."

"I _know_ she could have. Since none of your other neighbors complained, I'm sure they _did_. I mean, honestly, who in Merlin's name sends..." He flipped back a page. "One hundred thirty-seven owls to the Ministry. Who does that unless they have a personal vendetta against someone? Did you not owl her niece or something?"

"Does she even have a niece?" The blonde glanced up from fiddling with his thumbs, a nervous habit he had obtained over the years. He was of course not nervous in a situation such a this, but had to well... One had to keep themselves entertained, obviously.

"Well, I'm not about to head over and ask." Harry yawned, carrying the notebook to the couch. He dropped down, leaning against the arm closest to the blonde. "I can't wait to write the report on this one, though. It's always fun when I get to embellish."

"Embellish? You make it sound like you had some glorious one-night stand with a long-lost love, Harry." Draco raised an eyebrow in questioning amusement.

He coughed, hiding his face in the book. "No one's taken off their pants, so embellish probably isn't the right word. Picking and choosing what details is... Well, actually, that sounds bad and illegal. I should stop talking."

Another small ring of laughter was followed by a gasp of disbelief. "Snow! Harry, it's snowing!" Draco's long legs untangled themselves, his body slinking out of his chair, the blanket he had draped over his legs dropping to the floor as he quietly rushing to the window, feet padded by the carpet. "Oh it's _beautiful._"

Harry smiled, rising and going over to the window to stand beside him. "It never snowed where I grew up," he said quietly. "I actually never saw the stuff until I went to Hogwarts."

"We normally don't get snow this early in December; maybe a few days before Christmas, but not this early." Draco's hand, pale and warm, pressed and fogged against the cool beach-style window that lead to the vast outdoors he seemed to be so particularly taken with. "It's so beautiful though, the first snow of the year. I hated never being able to see it in the Dungeons in Hogwarts."

"Well, it's not like the Slytherin dorms were horrible. The view of the lake... It was beautiful in an odd way." Harry shrugged. "And not everything can come on schedule, Draco. Or we'd be asleep like normal people and the puppies would've waited until morning."

"The puppies wouldn't have _waited_, Potter," he grumbled, a small sigh escaping his lips, his hand dropping away from the window and falling dully to his side. "I'm going to make more tea, would you like some?" He walked away without an answer.

Harry followed, feeling oddly like he'd missed something important. "I used to sit in the window of my room and watch the snow on the nights I couldn't sleep," he admitted.

"When I couldn't sleep... I'd just stay in bed. Always wanted to explore." His hands fumbled for the tea supplies once more, the digits shaking ever-so slightly. What had Potter - Harry said that had gotten him so... emotional? Yes, Harry was able to roam the castle, free to do whatever he wished, never get into trouble. Draco, however, was practically locked in his dorm. He could never go out for fear of someone thinking he was going to meet the the Dark Lord, or thought he was going to co-conspire with the Gryffindor's Golden Boy on how to take _down_ their Dark Lord. Dark Lord, Dark Lord - He was bloody well fucking _glad_ the bastard was gone. But that still didn't help him figure out how Harry had effected him so much with one little sentence.

Harry reached out, laid a hand hesitantly over Draco's. "Are you alright?"

The blonde's body stiffened immediately, his hand jerking to knock over a tea mug, thanking Merlin it was empty as it clanked loudly against the counter, against the silence. There was a moments hesitation, a pregnant pause. "Yes Harry, of course. Why wouldn't I be alright?" Even to untrained ears, the blonde's usually stoic and emotionless voice seemed a tad off.

"Which is why you just..." Harry gestured to the mug. "If it's a touching thing, I can keep my hands to myself. But I don't think it was. Whatever I said, I'm sorry. We were actually... getting along." He rubbed a hand through his hair. "Can't say I missed the tension." The angry tension anyway; there was plenty of what was probably one-sided sexual tension on his end.

"Look Harry," Draco reached over to set the mug up-right, hands coming to clench at the end of the counter, his head dropped down. Draco would curse himself to the day he died but he just... couldn't. He wouldn't act on feelings he had barely thought about in a decade, no matter how forcefully they decided to come back, no matter how much they decided to kick him in the arse with a vengeance. He was a lone snake with just his dogs to keep him company. And he appreciated it that way. Better to be a strong Malfoy, alone and stoic, than a... Malfoy in love... Love led to disaster; it was something his father had instilled in him at a young age. Love led to nothing but heartbreak and ruin. Draco refused to let himself be ruined... even more than he already was. "Don't you have a wife to go back to? Children? A lover? You don't need to stay the night. I apologize for making the assumption t-that you would."

Harry stuck his hands in his pockets, taking a step back. He'd been stupid to think he and Draco Malfoy could form any sort of tentative friendship. "Surprised you don't know, actually. _Prophet_ had a field day with it," he muttered. "But since you don't know, no. No children, _definitely_ no wife, and no time to wade through the crowds of admirers or dark wizards who want my head on a platter to find a lover."

The blonde scoffed in vain amusement, shoulders shaking slightly. "I bet you could find a wife instantly. Whatever happened to that Weasley girl? Or the Asian chick from, what was it? Fourth year?" His hands clenched even harder, nails biting into reddening flesh, heart feeling as if it were eating its way out of his chest with every painful twist. No, go on Malfoy, dig yourself into an even deeper hole of dark, doom and despair, that's perfectly fine. Drama queen.

"Fifth year, actually. The year after her boyfriend - Cedric Diggory, for your information - was murdered, so she wanted to ask me all about what happened. Our one date was... absolutely miserable, and I haven't actually heard from Cho in..." He squinted, trying to remember. "I dunno, but it's been a few years. And Ginny's very happily married to a Ravenclaw that was in her year. And if it was a _wife_ I was interested in, I'd probably have stayed with Gin."

The blonde's brow furrowed instantly, his grip slowly loosening against the counter he seemed to be rooting himself too. "What type of tone was that, Potter? What do you mean if it was a _wife?_" He honestly didn't even want to give himself any hope. He learned after sixth year, that if any hope were to come, he were to find it himself. Life was unfair, something his Godfather felt the need to tell him everyday, as Draco was stitching up his wounds.

"For-" Harry huffed. "I remembered you being quicker than this. I'm gay, Malfoy."

Can worlds explode? Malfoy wondered, his hands dropping loosely to his sides. "O-Oh really? Shocker there, the great Golden Boy fancies a dick up the arse more than a lovely little bint to plunder into. Lovely." His hands resumed their work of making tea after a moments pause, his face hidden, ducked behind his hair.

"Right. There's the git I remember. I'll head home, then, before I gay up your flat." Tone more hurt than anything - too tired to hide it - Harry turned on his heel to leave the kitchen.

He expected, _wanted_, Draco to stop him all through him gathering his things, slipping on his shoes. He sighed down at the sleeping puppies, tried and failed not to be upset that once he walked out, he wasn't coming back. His hand was at the doorknob before there was a clatter in the kitchen. "H-Harry! _Potter!_ Wait!"

His fingers tightened, but he didn't turn the knob to go. Had he imagined the desperation in Draco's tone? "If you want parting shots, Malfoy, you'll have to get creative. I've heard them all, believe me."

"P-Potter... _Harry..._" The blonde's hands fiddled, picking at the edge of his plain grey jumper. Plain - was that all he was now... plain? "I-I'm gay too. You don't _have_ to leave... It's just I'm not that good at..." His face, almost ethereal in its pallor and angelic in its structure began to scrunch up in confusion. "You see, I didn't really mean- I just don't know how to-"

"Well, I'll tell you now an 'oh, alright, so'm I' would've been a hell of a lot better than what you _did_ say. I only..." He waved a hand, finally turning to face the blonde. "The press only found out a couple of months ago and they _still_ hound me about it. Like it's some bloody residual curse leftover from Voldemort."

"I don't... think it's a curse..." No, but he wanted to curse himself. Just bloody fucking spit it out, Malfoy! You never had this bloody sap-ish problem in school! "I don't... Look, Potter- Harry, I..." There was a moments pause, a deep sigh, a large intake of breath. "I think I might... Agh! I'm fucking emotionally stunted, okay!" His hands flew up, tugging through his hair violent, his posture going rigid. "I never had this bloody problem in school, but whenever I want to even come _close_ to talking about anything even remotely _close_ to feelings - mine or otherwise - I just get all jumbled and I just... I can't fucking..." He stormed forward, gripping Harry's shirt between his fingers and tugging, silver eyes melted by an infuriated agitation, a warm molten mercury as he _jerked_ Harry forward and smashed their lips together.

To say he was surprised would've been an understatement, but he didn't have any objections to it. A hand shot into Draco's hair - cor, it _was_ as soft as it looked - to keep him in place as he deepened the kiss, lips parting to invite the blonde's tongue.

Malfoy slowly sank into the kiss, hands coming up to cautiously rest against the shorter male's chest, tightening against the fabric ever-so slightly, before pushing him away, eyes wide with something close to fear, heartbreaking, heart-wrenching_fear_, hands coming up, shaking just slightly to rest against his mouth. "I-I... I-I'm so-"

"If you apologize, I'll brain you." Harry scrubbed a hand through his hair. "It's not like you're... I wasn't planning on fighting you off at all."

"I just- I-I fucking need to stop s-stuttering and..." A pregnant pause, and the blonde Slytherin let out a deep breath, an exhale of relief perhaps? He shoulders sagged, his posture dropping completely. "It's been a long night, and I'm exhausted. I don't want to do something that you..." His arms tightened around his chest against, hands gripping muscled biceps tightly. "That _I_ will regret."

"Yeah. I wasn't planning on..." His cheeks colored. "The puppies and all. Listen, Mal- Draco. Hell, I do plan on snogging you again eventually so you may as well be Draco. And there's what I was about to say..." He sighed. "I'm exhausted too. So am I staying on your couch tonight like we agreed or am I going?"

"Staying would be nice." He spoke before his mind could catch up, Draco shifting from foot to foot in awkwardness. "Only if you want, obviously. Can't go messing with the great Golden Boy's plans..." He ducked his head, his cheeks blooming in color behind strands of platinum blonde hair.

Harry cupped his chin, tilting his head. "The great Golden Boy's plans for tonight were sleeping. Since those are already dashed and you're surprisingly pleasant - barring the past few minutes - I wouldn't mind staying."

Stepping forward, deciding to drag some of his old brash courage out of the storage in the back of his mind, Draco pressed his body fully against the smaller body before him, fingers tightening against Harry's waist, fingering the fabric of his belt slightly. "I would like it if you stayed then, _Harry._"

"You're taller than I am," Harry realized and then blinked, scrunching his nose. "Well. Brilliant Auror observation skills at work there. I'll stay."

Finally, like the snow falling slowly outside, basking the world in a blank canvas, Draco let peels of laughter slip past his lips, his chest rumbling, relief flooding his veins, his bones, as the chuckling noises fell past his lips, seeming to melt the blonde's icy demeanor.

Harry grinned, leaning back against the door. That was nice. That was really nice. Like the flat, the sound of his laugh was surprisingly warm and rich.

Another surprising peck on the lips, and the blonde was leading Harry back over towards the couches, flicking the lights to the kitchen off as they went, tea forgotten about, hands laced together tightly as they strewed themselves across the simple piece of inviting looking furniture. "Wonderful observation skills there, Harry, if I do say so myself."

"They are rather stunning, aren't they? No wonder the Head Auror holds me in such high esteem." Harry stretched his legs out, thigh pressed comfortably against Draco's, and leaned back. "So... what did upset you? Before. Hate to drag down the renewed mood, but I'd rather know now."

"It's really sappy, Potter. _Complete_ Hufflepuff material. I don't feel like lowering myself down anymore then I already have. Maybe tomorrow," the blonde grumbled, body slinking sideways to allow his head to fall into the Auror's lap, warm silver eyes glancing up at him in the dimly lit room, the fire slowly dying out, still enough to warm the puppies though.

Harry chuckled, giving in to the impulse to stroke his hair. "Is that an invitation to come back? Exhausted or not, I'll hold you to it."

Draco leaned ever-so slightly into the touch, body sagging relaxingly into the couch. "Who said anything about coming back? I could kick you to the door, Potter."

"You already tried that, but you called me back." Harry smiled down at him, a little smug.

With a raised eyebrow, Draco's hand slid up Harry's chest lightly, fingers sliding into the collar of his shirt and tugging him down, pressing their lips together sweetly, warmly, despite the racing snow outside.

Harry sighed, sinking into the kiss for a moment. "Yeah," he murmured, "you're not kicking me to the door anytime soon."

"We'll see about that," the blonde chuckled lowly, leaning back down to rest against the brunette's Quidditch-toned thighs. "Just relax, Harry, you're fine... for now."

"Good." Harry leaned back, comfortably stretching out his legs and running his fingers through Draco's hair.

Rolling over, Draco leaned his back against Harry's stomach, using the other for a pillow as his eyes drifted closed, listening to the howling of the wind and the crackle of a warm nights fire. "So what has the great Harry Potter been up to lately?"

"A lot of... work, actually. And trying to take care of my godson when I'm in town. And then I babysit Ron and Hermione's kids sometimes. Their youngest is two now, so that's an adventure in itself." His lips twitched. "It sounds almost pathetic to say it like that, doesn't it?"

"That sounds positively boring, Potter!" Draco glanced down at the puppies, the tops of their heads only viewable from his position in Harry's lap. "Well, maybe the kids part doesn't. Maybe."

Harry laughed. "And what have you been doing that's so exciting? One thing about this job is that there's plenty of traveling."

Malfoy's mouth fell closed. There was a moments pause, and Draco's eyes cast downwards, glancing over the puppies as they were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. "Nothing really, Potter." He _refused_ to tell Harry Potter his woe-is-me life story after Hogwarts. Right from the start Draco was cast out of each building he walked into, no jobs would take him, no flat buildings would allow him residence. This went on for three years, living on the streets, selling the few possessions from Malfoy Manor that the Wizengamot let him have, until Pansy. Pansy Parkinson had always had a... _thing_ for Draco, and Merlin knows why. She was always a few inches of a full wand, but Draco could care less when she approached him one day in Diagon Alley, haggling for bread for one of his mother's old romance novels, the pages well and worn. And that's where he was today. Pansy surprisingly had more influence in the Wizarding community after the war than what Draco would have thought, and with her help it allowed him to start up his own Apothecary business, operating from the flat she gave him, and then that transformed to becoming a full-on Potions expert; people coming from all around London after begrudgingly realizing that Malfoy was their best choice. To this day, Malfoy still operates the business in the spare room that had once been a second closet in his bedroom, magically enlarged on the inside. But, it wasn't a main priority now that he had money to get by on. The blonde shrugged, "Nothing that would interest you, at least."

"Draco, in one way or another, you've always managed to keep my interest." Even if the attention hadn't always been positive.

There was a small hum from Draco as he allowed his eyes to drift closed, just enjoying the moment; the snow drifting outside his window, the warm fire crackling, the small whimper of dreaming puppies, pristine and pure to the bright new world that lay just beyond their closed eyelids.

Harry hesitated a moment, but was too tired to overmuch care how it looked. He found one of Draco's hands, intertwining their fingers.

Draco locked their fingers together firmly, shuddering slightly at the perfect fit before he lifted his hand to glance down at the padding of paws on the carpet. "Hello there Marquet, what's wrong?" He sat up slowly, fingers still intertwined with the Auror's as he reached down and grasped the small puppy that Marquet held by the scruff of his neck. Draco's heart froze. "O-Oh Marque... thank you." Sliding his fingers from Harry, Draco traced a finger lightly across the pristine white stomach, hand shaking ever-so slightly at the little whimper that left the dying puppy. "_Shh,_ Lulu, shh." How had he not noticed? Lulu was so small in his palm, his body cold and shivering.

Harry leaned over, eyes widening. "Wha... what's wrong?"

"This little one's not going to make the night, he's too small, too weak." Draco whispered, ignoring the prickling behind his eyes as he stood slowly, careful not to jostle the precious pup in his hands as he walked over to the bed, relighting with the fire with a careful, very careful, wave of his hand, sitting down with his legs tucked under him.

Harry went to him, sinking down to the floor. "I... I'm sorry. You can't do anything?"

Rubbing his thumb gently over the very little stomach, pressing a kiss to his muzzle, Draco laid the wiggling puppy down, allowing the little boy, smaller than the rest, to cuddle next to Cissy with another small noise. Draco traced his spine with a finger. "No magic. Sometimes... sometimes these things happen." His face contorted into sadness. Of course he would lose a puppy with his parents names. Of course.

Harry found Draco's hand again, sighing quietly. "I'm sorry," he said again, feeling incredibly useless.

His hand clung back tightly. "There was... There was nothing you can do. It happens." It just seems to happen more to me than most breeders. Out of the three litters Draco had received from Marquet and Genevieve, of the 34 puppies, 9 had passed away, 10 coming out smaller; runts of the litters. "I'm just... I'll be sad to see him go. He was one I was attached too."

Harry couldn't think of a thing to do, so he wrapped an arm tightly around the Slytherin. He knew it was just a puppy, but it upset him to know one wasn't going to make it. It didn't feel fair.

Minutes passed, or was it hours? All Draco knew was that when that little chest stopped moving, and the whimpers ceased to be formed from an oh-so tiny muzzle, Draco wanted to cry. He wanted to cry, to scream at the injustices of the world. All the shit that happened to him at Hogwarts and after, all the love he lost, the friends, his _family._ What had he done to deserve any of that? Made a few wrong choices, that's what. And now he sat here, paying for it in the price of innocent lives, innocent little puppy's lives... "Oh Lulu..."

"Draco, what do we...?" Harry reached out and stroked the little thing gently, chest feeling tight.

He released a sigh, leaning down and gently scooping the little boy into his hands, bring him back to caress him in his lap. "Cremate him, bury him. It all depends."

"Oh..." Harry scratched the puppy gently between the ears, biting his lip. Something that small... "What're we going to do with him?"

"Not sure... For once... I'm not sure." He pressed a kiss to the pup's muzzle, glancing at Marquet and Genevieve before letting his gaze shift to meet Harry's.

Harry hesitantly took the pup, softly rubbing its back. "He's so small, Draco..."

Draco swallowed harshly, cringing at the lump that knotted in his throat. "You should know something about that... Shouldn't you Harry?" He gazed at the two openly, emotions almost unguarded as he saw the two. They seemed to be perfect for each other. Small, but larger than life. LuLu was larger than life when he was born, always trying to explore, always chirping loudly. Only a few hours old and he was the light of Draco's rather petulant life.

"It's not fair," Harry murmured, continued to rub its back. He was too little and he'd been fine. He'd been fine.

"This may come as a notice to you, Harry... or it may not. But life isn't fair. No matter how much we try to change it." He leaned down, placing another kiss on the puppy's head before gently scooping him up and grabbing a towel from the pile next to the dog's bed, laying it across his lap and gently setting LuLu - Lucius - down and wrapping him quietly. "Goodbye, LuLu."

Harry leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. He'd seen worse than this, he reminded himself, though it definitely didn't help cheer him up. It only made him sigh because most never even saw this. "No," he murmured. "Life definitely isn't fair."

Draco nodded, standing smoothly albeit his shaking knees, and cradled the small puppy to his chest, basked by the light the fire gave off. "I'm so sorry, LuLu." He whispered quietly enough that he hoped the brunette wouldn't hear it, even his one moment of true weakness. He could never handle death, could never stomach it. And to see something so... so precious die so young tore at the heart the Malfoy thought he didn't have decades ago.

Harry watched the other puppies, gazing at them carefully, searching for anything out of the ordinary - or, as far as he knew, what might be out of the ordinary. He reached out and patted Genevieve carefully. "Pretty girl," he whispered, "I'm sorry." Then he stood and gazed at Draco sadly. "Well?"

"Well what, Harry?"

"I... I want to help with... whatever comes next."

"He'll be cremated. I-" He fingered at the towel in his hands, shuddering at the deceptively soft feel of the fabric. "I just... burying him doesn't seem..." He took in a shuddering breath, his hair falling into his face as he collapsed back to the floor, cradling the puppy close to his chest, legs tucked under his lithely muscled body.

"Yeah... Ground's kinda hard anyway... Probably. What, with the snow and all." Harry knelt back down, wrapping his arms around the blonde. "I'm so sorry, Draco."

"There was nothing you could do. He's in a better place now, I hope." Draco pulled away, pausing for a moment before standing and walking towards the kitchen. Kneeling down, he pulled out some boxes he had stored for groceries below the sink. Conjuring a few more towels from his bathroom on the other half of the flat, Draco padded the box before gently lowering the puppy inside, making sure he stayed wrapped. Reaching down, he caressed the towel gently, reassuringly. "You're in a better place LuLu, but you got to live, if only for a few hours." Standing once more and grabbing the sides of the box, Draco turned.

"Do you want me to do it?" Harry offered. "I know they're your dogs, but it can't be easy."

"I uh..." He set the box on the counter gently, running a hand through his tangled locks of hair. "Tomorrow. For now I just..." Draco's hands tightened on the edges of the box, shaking slightly.

"Tomorrow, then." Harry walked up, laying his hands over Draco's. "So you don't have to worry about it tonight."

"Yeah. How about we go to bed? I'll place a small alert charm by the puppies, not enough to harm them but enough to alert us if something is happening." He turned, offering the brunette a slow, exhausted and albeit devastated curve of the lips.

"Sure. I've got all of two hours before I have to be up anyway." Harry pressed a soft kiss to Draco's lips, a hand lifting to his cheek.

"You could of just said no Potter," Draco grumbled, pressing back against the kiss with a small sigh, hands gripping firmly at the shirt that covered a no doubt, sun-kissed torso.

"Could have. Didn't." He smiled, caressing his cheek gently.

Leaning into the touch, Draco tugged Harry forward, resting against the warm and sure body before him. "Let's just go to bed, Harry. Enough bickering for tonight, I think, even for us."

"Yeah, I can agree with that."

With a quiet nod, and once last glance back at the box, Draco laced their fingers and dragged Harry off towards the couches once more, only stopping when there was a tug on his hand. He glanced back with a raised blonde eyebrow. "Harry?"

Harry wasn't entirely sure of his footing here, was fairly certain it was a mistake. But he was more certain that it wasn't one and even it was sleep depravity doing his thinking, he quietly promised not to regret it. "You did say bed."

Draco blinked for a few moments to collect his thoughts and sort through his confusion. "Wha...? O-Oh! _Oh._ Yes, well," he coughed nervously, turning on his heel and walking down a small corridor near the front entrance to his flat. "This way then." He kept screaming at himself to just remain calm, _nothing_ was going to happen. Merlin's beard he was fuckin' nervous.

Not entirely sure what was going to happen, Harry gave himself a moment to just look around the bedroom. It had been magically enlarged, he was sure of it, because the bed was more the size of a pool than any normal kind of bed. He laughed softly. "That thing could fit at least ten people in it."

"Or ten dogs," Draco chuckled shakily, hand slipping out of Harry's as he walked towards the bed and slipped onto the dark blue sheets, groaning quietly. "I've missed you bed."

"I always expected you to have a very green house," Harry mused, following. The groan had sent the blood southward, so he swallowed and hoped it wouldn't be painfully obvious before he had a chance to get rid of it. "All the blue's a nice surprise, though."

"It was originally all red, 'ctually." Draco grumbled into the sheets, sprawled out and seeming to melt further and further into the enticing piece of furniture.

Harry toed off his shoes and shrugged out of the robes he'd thrown on when he'd thought he'd be leaving. Oh, how times changed, he thought as he slid beneath the sheets. He reached out a hand, capturing one of Draco's and lifting it to his lips. "Red? Really? That I find hard to believe."

Draco chuckled, turning his head so he could face Harry, body turning as well, moving to press against the shorter male's side. "You'd be shocked at how much red there was in this flat. I think Pansy did it in spite."

"Parkinson?" His fingers stroked along Draco's side, feeling a stir of jealousy for the girl who'd seemed as glued to Draco's side as his two bodyguards during their school year. "You still talk to her, then?"

"She's the owner of the building, Harry." Draco shuddered at the movement of the Gryffindor's fingers along his sides. "She is the one who gave me the flat. I hope all the red might have just been good humor."

"I never thought Parkinson had a sense of humor." His fingers slipped beneath Draco's shirt on an upward stroke, fingers gliding along the smooth skin.

The blonde's stomach clenched, goosebumps rising against his skin. "Y-You never saw her in our Hogwarts days then. Aside from the usual snarky reply, she was actually q-quite," he licked at his dry lips, heart thundering slowly in his chest like the beat of a drum. "Humorous."

"I only saw her when her head was in your lap or when she was offering me up to Voldemort. Not the best memories in relation to _humor_."

"Her head was never _in my lap_, Harry." Draco shuddered at the thought. "I would gag if it came anywhere close. It might come as a... _shock_ but I never saw anything in Pansy, nor she I."

With a noncommittal sound, hand still below Draco's shirt, Harry slid his hand to the blonde's chest. He massaged carefully, hand sliding lower. "Well, you tended to stay 'round very particular people..."

The blonde's heart pounded, his eyes slipping closed with a shaky breath. "D-Doesn't mean I didn't want to befriend other people." Particularly someone with just-shagged brown hair and intoxicating green eyes. "They just didn't want to befriend me."

"Well, you can't deny that you were a bit of a git," Harry murmured, breath catching as his fingers dipped beneath Draco's trousers.

Draco's body, lean with years of Quidditch and street-living, arched, his breath living him in a quick push of air from between his lips. "_H-Harry.._"

He undid the button and carefully drew down the zipper and watched Draco's expression for any sign that he should stop. "Draco," he breathed, cupping the bulge through what felt like silk boxers.

Leaning forward, Draco pressed his body fully against Harry's, tilting his head forward to whisper against the Auror's ear. "Fraternizing with the enemy, Potter?" He purred warmly, leaning into the touch against his hip, all traces of sleep and sorrow gone with the simple motion.

"I've come to the conclusion that you're not the enemy." He lifted his hands to undo the buttons of Draco's shirt, making quick work of them. He pushed the shirt from his shoulders, the pads of his thumbs brushing teasingly over the revealed nipples. "Definitely fraternizing, though."

With another arch, Draco grasped Harry's shoulders tightly, nails digging in to the supple flesh and jerking him down, smashing their lips together with the intent of trying to cease the fire that was slowly beginning to burn in his veins. "Sure you w-want to do that, Potter? Could get you fired."

Harry nipped at his bottom lip, hands gliding down his sides to nudge the trousers down. "Planning on filing a complaint, Malfoy?"

Draco lifted his hips to help Harry lower his trousers down his thighs, a small smirk lifting against his lips, bright against the clear moonlight that drifted in through his windows. "Or a compliment, depending on how things go."

Harry laughed breathlessly, reaching up and dragging his pants down as well. He took his gaze over the pale, unclothed skin, porcelain in the moonlight. He made an appreciative sound, lowering his head, nibbling on Draco's hip. "Godric, you're beautiful."

Letting out a small, breathless moan, Draco's head fell back against the dark blue pillows, hair splayed out around his head, cheeks slowly tinting, chest beginning to rise and fall faster. "T-Think you should stop focusing on complimenting Godric Gryffindor, and focus on the task at hand," his lips lifted into the usual Malfoy smirk.

Amused, Harry bit in retaliation. "Git."

Draco groaned, back arching at the small bit that sent jolts through his veins. "Just-" He licked his lips, hands searching down his own body to lace through tortuously soft brown locks. "Do something, _Harry._"

"Like what?" he purred, nipping his way down to Draco's thigh, deliberately avoiding the hardening shaft.

"Anything that involves having me incoherent within the next five minutes would be greatly appreciated, Golden Boy," Draco huffed, chest heaving as he tried to shift his hips to get some form of friction to his aching length.

"Anything?" Harry leaned back far enough to pull off his shirt to give himself a moment. "That gives me so many choices," he mused and licked up the length of his inner thigh.

"_Salazar_ yes, Harry. _Anything._" The blonde writhed against the sheets, heart pounding, brain slowly hazing over with want. He swore he'd remember this night for years to come, but he wouldn't if Harry didn't do something - and _now._

He bit into Draco's thigh before slicking his tongue along the underside of his length and closing his lips around the head to suckle.

His hands shot into tangled brown locks, a pleasant moan escaping his lips as his hips jerked upwards with a small thrust.

Harry gripped Draco's waist, pressing him down as his mouth worked. He sank lower, sucking hard. His own erection was rubbing almost painfully against his jeans, but he ignored it for the moment. Draco wanted incoherent? He could do that. He tongued the leaking slit, humming pleasantly until he'd swallowed Draco to the hilt.

The blonde let out a jolting moan, loud and wanton as he sank further into the bed, heat licking at his veins, heart pounding as he moaned the brunette's name.

Harry flicked his gaze up, suckling hard enough to hollow his cheeks while he tongue rubbed firmly over the shaft. His head began to bob, sounds escaping that vibrated along Draco's cock.

Draco whimpered, the feel of the suction - the heat - it was almost too much for the blonde, Harry's mouth moving effortlessly over his throbbing erection. "H-Harry!"

Harry drew back after a few minutes, crawling up and fusing his mouth to Draco's. "Beautiful," he purred.

Arms looped around Harry's neck, lips moving slowly over his, tongue coming out to lick and nip softly as Draco lifted his hips to cautiously press his erection against the others.

"Mm... Draco..." Harry undid his jeans quickly, pushing them down and letting out a hiss when his cock was freed.

Draco reached a hand down quickly, fingers wrapping tightly around Harry's heated flesh and letting out a small moan at the heavy weight that fell into his palm. Draco leaned up again, lips meeting Harry's once more as he moved his hand.

Harry moaned into Draco's mouth, tongue slipping between the blonde's lips to tangle with his. He rutted into his hand, taking a hold of Draco's thighs and massaging. "Want in you," he managed.

"Please," the blonde groaned, lifting his hips, long legs falling open as his hand moved faster and gripped harder against Harry's deliciously long shaft.

"Yes." Harry leaned back, took his heated gaze over Draco again before a wordless spell slicked his fingers. He slid them down between the blonde's legs and circled Draco's hole almost teasingly.

Jerking his hips forward, Draco let out a pleading moan as the tips of Harry's fingers breached the tight ring of muscle, his eyes clenching shut, hands fumbling around at his sides to find something to just grab and hold onto as another wave of pleasure caused his toes to curl.

"Bloody hell... You're tight," Harry realized, working two fingers into his entrance. He began to thrust them, carefully stretching him before adding a third. His cock was throbbing.

Draco moved quickly, legs looping around Harry's waist, arms slinking around his neck as he tugged the brunette down, molding their lips together with a moan. He pulled Harry forward with another tightening of his thighs, groaning as the brunettes cock rubbed teasingly against his arse. "W-Well, I expect that might change _very soon._"

"Yes," he agreed, breathless. He slicked his length with the same wordless spell and slid his fingers out, replacing them with the head of his cock. "You've done this before, haven't you?"

With a moan, Draco laid himself back down, sweat slicking his body as his legs fell open, body open completely to the brunette above him, and inconsequentially, his heart. _Shite._ "A few times," he panted harshly, begging for Harry to thrust forward just an inch, or ten.

"Okay." He swatted away the surge of jealousy because, well, this wasn't his first either. But it was still there, so he pressed his lips possessively to the blonde's and eased his hips forward, going carefully until he was fully sheathed.

Draco never really believed in heaven, but the moment the brunette had pushed himself into the hilt, Draco's body taking him in fully with a moan of pleasure, Draco knew _exactly_ what it felt like. Harry stretched Draco wide, caressed his body with warm, nimble-fingered hands and pressed searing kisses against his neck. Draco's heart twisted in response. "Harry..."

"Are you okay?" he murmured, nuzzling into his neck. His hands slid up in smooth caresses to cup his cheeks and he kissed the blonde gently.

"Yes, yes Harry. Just _move._"

"Bossy." With a fond nip of his bottom lip, Harry moved. He started off slowly, but was very quickly picking up the pace of his thrusts. He gripped Draco's thighs, groaning.

Clenching down around the Auror, Draco moaned. "Yes Harry- _Yes._" Lifting his arms to loop around the sweat-soaked neck, Draco groaned softly. This was a feeling he knew he'd never get used to. Harry slid in and out rapidly, rocking Draco against the pillows and the sex-soaked sheets, nipping lightly at the blonde's porcelain skin. "Fuck!"

"Bloody hell, Draco." Groaning, Harry took a hold of Draco's length, running his fingers over it almost fondly before massaging firmly. "Close," he warned, cupping Draco's balls and squeezing.

Draco panted, body rocking back against Harry's, clenching down around the shaft that slid in and out of his body without abandon.

"Draco," he moaned, fisting Draco's length in times with his thrusts, the pad of his thumb rubbing over the leaking slit. He changed the angle of his thrusts, length rubbing against his prostate.

The blonde whimpered, moaned, rocked against Harry's body in tandem, begging the brunette to move faster, _harder_, nails dragging down sun-kissed skin and beautifully formed muscles, leaving red welts in their wake.

Harry complied, gripping one of Draco's thighs to hike his leg up to make the angle easier. He snapped his hips as quickly as he could, teeth sinking into Draco's shoulder.

"Harry... _Harry..._ close..." Draco groaned loudly, panting as he wrapped his arms around the beautifully handsome Auror and clinging to him desperately.

"Come, then. Come on, Draco..." Harry bit his lip, sliding his tongue over the mark to soothe.

The blonde's body lurched, arching violently as he came with a shout, body clenching down around the deliciously warm shaft sliding in and out of his body at a rapid pace, Draco's hands coming up to clench at Harry's shoulders as he released over his stomach.

Harry crushed his mouth to Draco, muffling his own outcry as he pumped his release deep within the Slytherin, letting the tight clenching milk him dry.

Draco let out a sigh, a small blissful noise as he sunk back against the sheets, body feeling like jelly slugs against the Quidditch toned Auror.

Slowly, Harry pulled out and sank down. He barely had the presence of mind to roll onto his side instead of crushing the other man. He blew out a shaky breath, hooking an arm around Draco's waist and dragging him close. "Fuck," he breathed.

"Mm, already did that, thanks." Draco hummed lightly, curling his body up against the Auror's with a small sigh.

Harry managed a soft laugh, holding him tightly. "Definitely did that, yeah..." With a pleased hum, he relaxed against the blonde and let his eyes close.

Draco drifted off, warmth emitting from Harry's body and drifting to ebb against his bones. "Mm, I think I just might be in 'ove with you after 'hat, Potter."

The Auror blinked his eyes open, startled by the words, but he was officially too exhausted to do or say anything about it. "'Night, Draco." His eyes closed again and he snuggled close.

Draco was asleep before he realized what he had just changed with those thirteen uttered words.

_-8-8-_

Harry hated life. Hated it. He groaned, hiding his head beneath a pillow to get away from the alarm and groaned again when he realized the alarm was_ in_ his head. He flailed a hand out for his bedside dresser to find his wand and shut the thing off, but he only met more bed.

That was odd. His bed wasn't this big. Blearily, he lifted the pillow up and looked around. He caught sight of the blonde male beside him, hogging most of the blankets, and blinked rapidly. Oh. He blinked once more. Ohhhh.

The buzzing was still going on, though, so he pushed back morning-after jitters in favor of locating his wand. His jeans had been shoved to the floor at some point, and he found the slim piece of wood tangled in a pant leg. Harry didn't want to know how it had gotten there, but gave a sigh of relief when he had it in his hand and the alarm stopped.

He looked at Draco, biting his lip because, damn, he looked... delightful in the morning. _Down boy_, he told himself before gathering his clothes and carting them to the attached washroom. Hoping Draco wouldn't mind, Harry took a freezing shower - benefits being his sudden wakefulness and a lack of the libido seeing Malfoy had stirred. He dried himself off with a charm before blasting his clothes enough cleaning charms that his red shirt lightened two shades. Oops.

Oh well. He pulled it on anyway and was relieved that it'd at least vaguely look like he was wearing different clothing. Not even bothering with his hair, he walked out and the effects of the cold shower - in regards to his libido, anyway - wore off. Maybe if they were quick...

No. No. Bad, Potter. He blew out a breath and padded back to the bed to locate his shoes.

"Leaving me so soon, Potter?" The tone was blank, unreadable, as the snow that swirled violently outside, unbeknownst to the two wizards that had been... _snuggled_ together only minutes before. "It would of been more effective if you had just left."

"Oh, you're up." Harry cupped his chin in hand and gave him a light kiss. "I have work, remember? I didn't mean to wake you."

Draco's lips didn't respond, his tone despondent as he rolled over, pulling the silk sheets back over his shoulder. "I didn't get much sleep anyway, s'ok." He burrowed further down inside the blankets. "You'd think for it being a beautiful, snow filled morning, waking up to just having been buggered by the man of my dreams, I'd be happy. But all I can think of is... Lulu... and..." he whispered quietly against the plush down of his pillow. Draco didn't feel up to telling his... lover? That he had had a nightmare as well.

"I could try and call off? If you want." Harry crawled into the bed, tucked himself against Draco and gently kissed the back of his neck. Wait, the man of his dreams? And then Harry remembered Draco's kinda-sorta love confession and slung an arm over his waist dragging him just a little closer.

"Nah, go to work, Harry..." he leaned back ever-so slightly, tightening the arm around his waist with a simple tug. "Just don't forget about the little people." And his four- thirteen puppies at home.

"I wasn't planning on this just being a one-off," Harry assured him, nuzzling gently. "And I'll try and keep my inevitable nap short so I can get through the paperwork quickly. I can pick up dinner after and come back here. Ah... If you wanted to see me again tonight, that is."

Draco turned quickly with a raised eyebrow. "You'd... you'd come back? You'd be... _willing_ to come back?"

"Well, I just offered, didn't I?"

"I... umm..." A blonde eyebrow raised even higher, silver eyes bright with conflicting emotions. "Yes. _Yes._" He gasped happily, emotions washing over him in a wave. A wave of confusion, obviously, but as Draco wrapped his arms tightly around Harry and hugged him tightly, he thought he might be able to work through the small bout of depression that LuLu's passing brought him.

Harry framed his face in his hands, laying his lips firmly on Draco's. The history between them seemed to pale in comparison to what they'd gone through together the night before. They'd brought lives into the world, suffered a loss together, and then... It didn't matter to Harry that it had been a while since his last 'round of sex, that had been _special_ in some baffling way. He definitely wanted to come back, to make sure that it hadn't been a fluke.

Kissing back quickly, passionately, breath leaving his longs in a _whoosh_ of air, hands lifting from under the body-warmed blankets to tangle in soft, silky hair. "_Harry,_" he panted quietly.

"I'm so tempted to be really late for work," Harry murmured, rolling over and pinning Draco into the mattress.

Leaning up, Draco nipped lightly at Harry's lips, eyes smouldering like the fire the brunette had walked in on just the night before. "I think you can be an hour late..." His arms looped loosely around and delicious looking neck. "Or two."

With a grin, Harry's clothes simply vanished. And to think he'd woken up hating life.

_-8-8-_

Leaning forward to place a kiss softly against those delicious tasting lips, Draco pulled back with a shite-eating grin, leaning against the doorjamb with a small shift of his feet. "Just remember to be careful please? I don't need the big bad Harry Potter slipping on ice his way out of my flat complex. How would that make me look?"

"Since it wouldn't be you the one falling on his arse, I'm sure you'd look fine."

Draco let out a quiet chuckle, glancing down at Genevieve and Marquet who nuzzled up to Harry and Draco's legs. "Just go before you get in trouble you nut. And remember to bring back some food."

"I will." He scratched both dogs behind the ears before latching onto Draco's shirt and jerking him forward for a hard, heart-pounding kiss. "See you soon."

"Mm, hurry back."

"Will," he promised and made himself step back. And then came the evil walk down the hall. By the time the elevator had reached the bottom, he'd made a plan to get out of work entirely.

-8-8-

It was only three hours, thankfully. A little early for dinner, but if Harry couldn't convince Draco to go out with him somewhere, they could call in something. He stared at the blonde's door, unsure if he should knock or just let himself in.

But since his hands were full, he was pretty sure he could get away with this. He kicked the door a couple of times, nearly overbalancing and then nearly dropping the parcel he carried. Next time, he was just letting himself in.

There was a loud bark from inside, a yell from 713 to shut the damn dog up, and a loud clatter, a tinkling of laughter and a clicking of a lock before the door to 712 opened and revealed disheveled blonde hair and a little clatter of nails and paws against the dark wood floor. "Harry!"

He smiled. "Hi. Can I set this stuff down?" Besides the parcel was a large folder, bulging with the amount of papers within and magically held together.

Draco nodded quickly, standing aside and ushering the little toddling puppies away, Marquet and Genevieve bumping them with their muzzles as Harry stumbled into the apartment.

Harry laughed, looking down and being careful where he placed his feet. "Surrounded by bloody dogs." He deposited his things on the coffee table in the living room before drawing Draco against him. "Anyway, I'm early. And I don't have food, but I got you a present."

Draco blinked as he was tugged forward quickly, arms looping around Harry's winter-chilled neck to keep himself upright. "A present? For what occasion?"

"Does there have to be an occasion?" Harry dropped down onto the couch, smiling. He nudged over the box, a blush tinting his cheeks. "Have a look."

Draco tilted his head ever-so slightly, dressed in a plain white button-down at least three sizes too large and a pair of overly large running shorts, Draco grabbed the... rather large box. About the size of a box you'd put a pair of loafers in, it was simple, black, glossy and smooth to the touch and rather light. "What the..." With a raised eyebrow, Draco lifted the lid, a small gasp leaving his lips. "O-Oh Harry..."

Inside lay twelve silver tags, names engraved in scrolling cursive; Cissy, Godric, Salazar, Severus, Guinevere, Poppy, Minvera, Draconis, Puppis, Lily and Prongs, each tagged personalized to fit the puppy whose name they held. The two constellations, Draconis and Puppis held little stars, Godric was a small lion head, Salazar a little snake, wide enough to fit the name with a bright green gem enlayed in the eye just as Godric had two bright red jems for the eyes as well. Severus was a cauldron (the tag sent a small pang to Draco's heart). Guinevere was a rose, as Harry figured Draco had a thing for Merlin with the name and Poppy was a small Poppy flower, Harry not being able to find something to fit the medi-witch whom the ever-caring puppy was named for, Minevera's tag being a little witch hat with the name engraved in an angle. Cissy was a heart. The Auror knew how much Cissy and Lulu meant - Narcissa and Lucius. It was simple, but it fit.

"D'you like them?" Harry flushed. "I guess it's a little early for them to have collars, but I thought tags would be alright."

Draco nodded, throat clenching with tears that threatened to spill over from his eyes. "O-Oh Harry... I..." His hand, shaking, slide over the tags lightly, each set an inch or so apart and laid against soft black velvet. "H-Harry... I..."

Harry dipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a little green and silver collar, the tag on the end gold and inscribed with Lulu's name and a sun. "And there's this one," he said quietly, offering it.

Draco froze, starring down at the tag with a stuttering heart. "Harry," he gasped quietly, hand coming to grasp at the tag and collar lightly. "Y-You didn't... You didn't-"

"I wanted to. I... I dunno. They kinda feel like mine too." Harry curled his hand around Draco's, trapping the collar between them. "And I think... I think Lulu would've liked this one."

Draco nodded quietly, pulling the collar closer towards his chest with a small shuddering sigh. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Harry touched his cheek, glancing down when his thigh was nosed expectantly. He laughed softly, scratching Marquet behind the ears. "No, I didn't forget you two." He fished two rather large chew bones out of his pocket and handed them over.

There were a few barks of cheer and the cluttering of bones as the two parents dropped to the floor, gnawing on the bones happily. Leaning forward unexpectedly, Draco pressed their lips together. "No, really Potter- Harry. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Draco. It was a nice way to spend a few hours." He smiled, nodded to the folder. "I took a Fever Fudge and had to promise to get that all done to get out of work, but it was worth it."

Draco nodded quietly, collar clutched tightly in his hand, the other tracing light patterns against the back of Harry's neck. "Good. Storm's brutal."

"Yeah. I was thinking of either taking you out somewhere or ordering in. If the weather keeps up, we may not manage either."

"We could manage." Another soft press of lips, a smoldering of mercury hued eyes that met jade. "We can try and cook."

"Just try?" Harry laughed, resting his brow on Draco's. "Do you even have anything edible in that kitchen?"

A small smirk was his reply, Draco sealing their lips once more, blonde fringe dancing into his face as he tilted his head to mold their lips together. "I do actually eat Potter, and I have lots of little mouths to feed as well."

"I'm sure Genevieve can take care of most of the little mouths." Harry closed his eyes and sank into the kiss, sliding a hand into Draco's hair.

"With what food there, Potter?" He murmured, moving his lips and nipping, licking lightly and giving a quiet moan. Harry tasted of apples and fresh winter air, and something that Draco knew would be ingrained in his brain for years to come. Something uniquely Harry.

"It can't have only been three hours," the brunette mumbled, pressing Draco back against the couch. "I can't have missed this taste so much after just three hours."

Draco released a small moan, pulling Harry down fully on-top of him. "I could say the same for you." He sucked the brunette's bottom lip between his teeth. "Been eating sweets there, _love?_" Draco purred warmly, hands drifting up and down a lean and muscular back.

"May have slipped into a sweet shop while waiting for the tags." Harry's hands slipped beneath Draco's incredibly huge shirt, vaguely wondered why he would be wearing one this big. "May have bought you some sweets while I was there."

Draco pulled away with a raised eyebrow, fingering the hem of Harry's shirt with a small motion of a few fingers. "Oh really? And who would of said that I had a sweet-tooth?"

Harry leaned forward, nipped his bottom lip. "The parcels you received every week from home were _loaded_ with sweets. And so was your Honeydukes shopping bag every Hogsmeade weekend."

"Obsessed with watching my packages there, Harry?" Draco slid Harry's shirt over his head, lifting his lips to nip teasingly at the supple skin of Harry's neck.

"Maybe just obsessed with watching you. You were a git, but I really never got tired of looking your way." His head tilted on a soft moan, allowing Draco access. "Always thought I was straight, though. Hermione saw right through it, figured it out before I did."

"Well we could always _test_ that theory," Draco purred, arching his hips to push his straining erection against the Auror's waist, biting down particularly hard on the junction between Harry's delicious neck and shoulder. "I have a feeling you know where my bedroom is by now, Harry."

The next moan was louder, Draco's shirt quickly being discarded. "I know where it is and have judged it to be way too far off." Harry caught Draco's wrists and held them above his head. Keeping the clamped with one hand, he let the other roam freely over Draco's chest and ground his hips down, rutting against him. "You really are gorgeous, y'know."

Draco let out a breathless moan, pulling Harry down to mold himself against the couch, and to mold the brunette fully against his body. "Mm, thank you for the compliment. I know."

"Prat." He simply vanished the rest of their clothes. "You know the lubrication spells, don't you?" Harry licked along the shell of Draco's ear.

Did Harry mean for Draco to top? The blonde didn't know so he nodded quickly, hopefully, muttering the spells against Harry's ear and groaning lightly at the cool feeling that slicked over his body, rutting back against the deliriously hard and aching erection pressed against his own. What would it feel like to be pressed into that tight, delicious heat?

"Good," Harry groaned. "Prep spell? I want you now."

"Already done," Draco panted heavily, eyes half-lidded as he locked gazes with Harry, his own a smoldering look of pure want and the deepest form of lust; he wanted Harry. Body, mind, soul. _Everything._ And Merlin be damned if he didn't get what he wanted.

"Fuck," he muttered, "Dunno how I didn't feel that." It probably had a lot to do with the absolute need pumping through him. He lifted himself up, fused his mouth to Draco's, and dropped down, taking him in one go. It made his eyes water a bit 'cause, _fuck_, it had been a while, but... But it was worth it.

Draco groaned loudly, eyes rolling back in his skull as his soul seemed to be sucked right out of his body. "_Fuck_, Harry. So tight," his hands tightened against the brunette's hips.

"Yeah. Don't... move yet." Harry captured Draco's lips with his own, sinking into a kiss while his body adjusted.

Draco's hands found Harry's arse, his lips molding perfectly to the kiss-swollen lips offered to him as he tried to do anything but move.

With a soft moan, Harry began to move, lifting his hips slowly and dropping back down. He nipped at Draco's neck as the pace picked up. "You can move now," he breathed.

Fingers tightening against the Auror's hips, no doubt going to leave bruises, Draco arched up, snapping his hips up and releasing a moan of bliss. "So tight... Harry!"

Harry's mouth moved down along the curve of Draco's neck, nipping and licking until they got to his shoulder. He changed the angle of his body, moaning loudly and gripping the blonde's side with his thighs when his length brushed over that sensitive bundle of nerves within.

Draco's arms moved to tightened around Harry's waist, hips thrusting up quickly before slowly dragging out, his lips nipping and sucking lightly at the handsome Auror's shoulder. "Beautiful," he whispered shakily, nipping lightly at Harry's ear before rotating his hips.

Harry ducked his head, teasing Draco's nipple with his tongue. He tugged teasingly at the hardening bud with his teeth, his fingers stroking along his sides. "So bloody good, Draco."

Sliding a hand down to slide Harry's leg up higher around his waist, Draco searched for Harry's lips, pressing them together fervently, hips jerking roughly, a rough moan leaving his lips at the heat, the sheer vice grip that Harry gave as he impaled himself on the blonde's shaft. "Mm, Harry- close."

Harry got a hand between their bodies to take a hold of his shaft. He pumped in time with their thrusts, moaned into Draco's mouth. "Yeah," he breathed. "Draco..."

A few more thrusts and Draco felt his stomach begin to coil as he pulled Harry down for another breathless kiss, "Come for me, Harry. Come for me."

A few more thrusts and Harry was letting go, crying out from it. He didn't stop the movement of his hips, though, urging Draco's orgasm along.

Draco groaned, hips jerking up, nails clamping down against red, bite-licked shoulders, body shuddering as he came with a shout, Harry's muscles clamping down on his aching erection violently.

Harry slowly sank down, dropping his brow to Draco's shoulder. "That was..."

He let out a breathless chuckle, fingers carting through Harry's damp hair softly. "I have to agree." Glancing to the side, Draco rested back against the couch, body sagging to support Harry's weight. "I think Gene and Marq knew what was going to happen." The chirp of happy puppies was coming from the kitchen.

"Well... they are pretty smart dogs," Harry mumbled. "Or we're just painfully obvious."

Draco grumbled his agreement, drifting off to the warm crackles of the fire a few feet away, snow howling and whistling outside his window. His arms tightened almost possessively around Harry's waist.

Harry sighed, burying his nose in Draco's hair. He was out within moments.

Draco awoke a few hours later to a warm weight against his side and the howling and groaning of the ever-racing wind outside that seemed to make his apartment wane. He glanced down with a small, breathless smile. Harry lay curled up between him and the couch, the shorter male looking perfectly content in his sleep, hands resting up against Draco's chest. The blonde lifted his hands to cover the Auror's. Glancing around the room found Draco and Harry's clothes strewn across the love-seat diagonal to them, and the Dalmatian pups curled up in their bed, Marquet and Genevieve leaning against the sides, Genevieve fast asleep while Marquet looked at the blonde with knowing eyes.

"Oh shut it, Marq."

The noise alerted Harry, his Auror instincts kicking in. But when he grasped for his wand, he found nothing but more fingers and a smooth chest. He blinked his eyes open wearily, head tilting back. Oh. Oh, right.

"Mornin', love." The blonde murmured quietly, too peaceful, too relaxed to register the pet name. "Storming like a bloody baron out there."

Harry smiled, relaxing against the blonde. "It can't be morning. It was hardly one when we fell asleep."

"Well, _evening _then." Draco grumbled, silver eyes rolling as he pressed kisses to Harry's forehead and eyelids. "You probably won't be goin' to work tomorrow." His tone held a slight suggestion, heart skipping a beat.

"Mm..." Harry kept his eyes closed, smiling softly. "With this storm? Yeah, I can probably get out of it."

"Good." Draco nudged Harry over, forcing the brunette to roll full atop the blonde, Draco pressing more kisses warmly against his cheeks and nose. "What would the Golden Boy say to spending a day with a dashingly handsome blonde Slytherin and his horde of lovable pups?"

"A dashingly handsome blonde Slytherin, mm? Maybe," he teased. "Do you know of one?"

Draco nipped lightly at the Auror's lip, drawing him into a warm, pleasant kiss. "I think I know a few."

"I'm only interested in one in particular, sadly." Harry lifted a hand to Draco's cheek, brushed it through his hair. "Think you could help with that?"

Draco leaned into the touch, a small smirk that held no malice, no contempt pulled at the corners of his lips. "I think I just might be able to help you there, Potter." Leaning forward to seal their lips, Draco chuckled, the sound quiet and warm like the fire that crackled happily behind them as a small tune, light and airy, drifted through the walls between his apartment and the next. "Looks like that damn old bat is good for something."

"Mmhm. Occasionally an irritation can be beneficial." He nibbled lightly on Draco's lips, pleased.

"As long as _I'm_ that occasional irritation, Potter, I think the world might benefit." Sealing their lips again, giving a light, pleased moan at the jolts of something that was purely just _feeling_ through his body, Draco pulled away with a grin. "Hello to you, too." Two spotted heads peaked out from the edge of the couch, amber and dark brown eyes wide with curiosity. "Come on you two," Draco padded the edge of the couch, moving him and Harry over just slightly so his two adult Dalmatians could jump up and snuggle. Always snuggling.

Harry laughed, rubbing their backs affectionately. "You make me want to have a pet. I haven't had one since... Well, Hedwig."

Draco glance at the other, knowing it was a tough subject from the few, scarce interviews he read where the Golden Boy had mentioned his beloved owl. "Well... you seem to have about..." He glanced over at the puppies, cuddled up in bed, pressed and strewn against each other. "About 14 new pets?" It came out as more of a question then anything.

"I'd make some joke about having fifteen, but I doubt you'd let me put a collar on you," Harry teased, wrapping his arms around the blonde.

The blonde hummed affectionately, nipping lightly at Harry's ear. "Don't doubt my agreeable senses, love." Marquet and Genevieve snorted happily in response.

"Mm. Pets don't bite their owners." Harry turned his head, laid his lips over Draco's warmly.

Kissing back warmly, Draco caressed his hand over the warm, muscular skin of Harry's spine, groaning appreciatively before flipping Harry over with a well-placed leg around his waist, jumping off of the couch and loping towards the puppies. "Well then, since _pets_ don't _bite,_ I'll just have to keep my mouth _closed_ won't I?" He called over his shoulder, face framed by the flickering flames of the fire, a smell grin of merriment on his lips at the Christmas-y tune that echoed through the walls of his apartment, all thanks to apartment 713.

Harry sat up, watching the blonde tend to the sleeping puppies as the firelight turned his skin to alabaster. He thought vaguely of their history together, so much bad with only one or two decent moments. So much suppressed attraction that had exploded back to life at first sight. He rubbed a fist over his heart, heard Draco laugh as one of the spotless little buggers blindly trounced another. The sound sent his heart skipping beats, warmed him from the inside out.

There were still hurdles they'd have to make, certainly. Harry's friends, Draco's friends. Talking about all that bad past and the moments of good... But for now... Harry looked at the dog tags, laid out in their box and the little collar for the pup they'd lost so quickly. He'd lost a lot of people in his life and, it seemed, so had Draco.

So why waste time?

Harry smiled slowly and let the heart Draco Malfoy and his ridiculous brood of puppies had stirred speak. "If you keep your mouth shut, how will you ever tell me you love me back?" And Draco's surprised, hesitant little smile was warmer than the fire.

_**-8-8-**_

_**Let's just say~ It was a very eventful Christmas. :heart:**_

_Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil~ If she doesn't scare you... no evil thing willl._

_She's like a spider waiting for the...kill! Look out for Cruella De Vil~_

**I can imagine Harry's reaction to the names Puppis and Draconis!**

"You had to go for the constellations, didn't you?"

"Shut it, Potter."

**Do No Noise charms even exist? Well.. they do now.**

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**Also,_ NOTE_: We understand that puppies aren't up and walking at a day old. Me and Syl wrote this purely for pleasure, and to pull us away from Wingardium Leviosa for a while, we were _not_ focusing on facts. The puppies in this story were more or less shuffling around, rolling like little jelly-beans. Sorry if the facts make some of you kinda iffy. It's Disney, and i'ts Harry Potter. :heart: Magic people~! Just gotta' have a little fun with this story, don't take it too seriously! Thank you!**

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**So what did you guys think? This was me and Syl's break from Wingardium Leviosa... which we still haven't figured out what to do. We figured the damn sequel out before where to go. xD Our goal is 20 chapters! Oi' ve.**

**You guyyyssss, my world is ending. D: Syl starts classes tomorrow (today). Meaning I have to **_**share her.**_** :heartbroken.:**

**Syl also shot down three of my ideas for other stories because we were/are busy- we take so many prompts. xD**

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**SO. **_**Reeevvvieew? Review!**_

**-Your darling Masters, (I'm going to get so much hate for that, aren't I Sylllyyy-boo?) (I'm going to die.)**

Please never call me that again :o

….**maybe. Because you said please. And I suck at reading your emotions. Well! **_**Review!**_

Also, j.i.c anyone's curious. Abra did Draco and I played Harry.

_**Abracadabra!**_**- Yeah, same as Wingaridum Leviosa.**

**-Abraxas and Syl! _(OH. AND IF YOU WANT A SEQUEL- We have a minor idea, so just give us lots of yummy reviews, and we just might! Thanks!)_**


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